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WIP Map - Looking for critiques and advice as I go! (huge map)

Hey, so I started my first "real" map or first real version of this map after doing a test run. Anyway, I am working on the hill/mountain ranges so far.

As the map is 30x42 inches full scale I shrunk it a little for the full over view, but the 2nd picture is an "actual pixel" screen shot of the mountain/hills. (The water in the map is just temp, until I get to that phase) But am looking for your opinion on the "hill land areas", if you think they look good or could use something else?!

So I am now working on the large mountain ranges in the center of the map. I have also finished putting in all of the low layer-hilly terrain that surrounds them as well. This is just the first stage of the my mountains, i plan on going back to touch them up at actual pixel size and then trying to fill large gaps in with smaller mountains, i think. As for snow and coloring, that will probably all come last after I have all the terrains and etc set up.

So are you thinking this lake would have formed when the caldera of a volcano filled up with water? There is a real world precedent for that in Oregon's Crater Lake. It's also the only explanation I can think of for why something like that would occur.

So are you thinking this lake would have formed when the caldera of a volcano filled up with water? There is a real world precedent for that in Oregon's Crater Lake. It's also the only explanation I can think of for why something like that would occur.

Possibly, however, this is a campaign/fantasy map, so it doesnt have to be 100% real....im doing this for a relative who created this map with pencil on hexagonal paper. I scanned it in and everything. But I still want to make it as real as i can but stay accurate to the drawing as well!

I think it looks pretty good, the mountains might be quite spidery and you could use a bit more variation in the ridges - not every ridge has to stretch the whole length of the mountains! Also, if you look in nature, ridges often follow folding events, so you end up with parallel chains of mountains, cut apart by rivers, rather than spiderworks of mountains going in all directions.

The same thing happens with hills, so it's a good idea to think a bit about the geological processes behind the hills and mountains as you paint them - are they the result of tectonic collisions, volcanic activity, old eroded mountain chains, rifting, subduction, things like that ... next, think a bit about the kind of geology you have, the kind of stone, since it can result in different looking mountains and hills. Soft, layerd sedimentary rocks, for instance, might result in high plateaus carved by canyons, while harder stone will result in more spiky, jagged hills.

I would add a few more distinct valleys to the hills as well, because hills, just like mountains, get shaped and cut by water.

There - a few comments

Oh, also the final colouration of the map will definitely impact how it looks.

Wow, lots to think about there lukc! I agree that they're quite spidery. I am hoping if I fill in with more mountains between the ridges that it will change it and be quite as spidery, but more full, if u know what I mean.

Hills AND valleys. Yeah I didn't even consider attempting to make valleys in the hills. I will have to find a tutorial or something how to indent rather than raise the land and see if I am able to incorporate w the hills.

Also, the rivers are missing currently I am going to be adding the rivers soon, there is definitely rivers that might change the dynamics of it.

The area where the "frozen lake" is I would say from the west to the east side of the lake it is about 20 miles (to get an idea of the scale).

The mountains are definitely more of a harder rock, intended to be to have more jagged peaks and etc.

I will post a pic of the map I am working with because i am trying to replicate it to scale the best I can. So you can see what I am working with. I believe the mountains are the toughest part to do, but I feel like i got a good start on it do far.